Rhino’s acclaimed “Quadio” series continues to impress with its latest quadraphonic Blu-ray reissues, featuring classic rock legends Rod Stewart and Z.Z. Top. This ongoing archival project from Rhino dives deep into the vaults of its associated labels, resurrecting rare and historically significant four-channel quadraphonic audio recordings from the 1970s.
Despite quadraphonic sound’s commercial failure—hampered by competing vinyl formats and unreliable 8-track cartridges—these new releases finally deliver the immersive, surround sound experience these recordings were meant to provide.
Nonetheless, many of the artists took the format seriously and embraced the platform for often unique approaches to recording their music back in the day. Many Quad recordings sound genuinely quite remarkable — Quad is the grand-daddy to modern 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos immersive audio — so it is great that these mixes are finally seeing the light of day, repurposed to for easy playback via a disc format which is well established. Most anyone with a basic 5.1 surround home theater system and a Blu-ray Disc player can enjoy these new Quadio titles.
These new Rhino Quadio releases are all transferred from original half-inch four-channel masters at 192 kHz, 24-bit resolution (they also include high resolution Stereo mixes!). Initially available at rhino.com, each title sells for about $24.98. You can find past Quadio releases on Amazon these days.
Z Z Top, Tres Hombres
Now this is the way to hear Z.Z. Top! Available for the first time in 50 years, their third studio album marked their big breakthrough, reaching #8 on the Billboard charts. While I’ve never been a die-hard ZZ Top fan, I’ve come to appreciate their early work—especially recently, as I’ve been diving deeper into their catalog.
Tres Hombres is one you’ll want to crank up loud. The guitars tower from the rear channels, creating a dynamic musical triangle with the punchy drums and bass up front. It’s like you’re right there in the studio with the band. “La Grange” sounds absolutely massive — that iconic bridge break fills the entire room. Rockers like “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” also come alive in quadraphonic, proving this music’s timeless power.
Z Z Top’s Tres Hombres is a winner on Quadio for those of you who like to rock in four channel.
Rod Stewart’s Atlantic Crossing
This breakthrough Top 10 album for Sir Rod Stewart—#1 in the UK and #9 on the US Billboard Top Pop—was his first recorded in America, showcasing a distinctly different vibe from his bluesier rock ‘n’ roll work with The Faces and his earlier solo material. The hits on Atlantic Crossing lean toward ballads and epic song structures rather than rockers, and these tracks truly shine in this previously unreleased quadraphonic mix.
While Atlantic Crossing delivers generally clean discrete separation and tasteful use of the surround channels, the overall mix leans heavily into midrange frequencies—giving the music that unmistakably ‘1975’ sound. The producers play it safe, keeping the band mostly anchored in the front channels.
“Drift Away” is especially successful with its subtle reggae rhythms percolating around your listening space. “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” features lovely acoustic guitars coming from the rear.
Rod’s cover of The Isley Brother’s 1966 hit “This Old Heart Of Mine” offers sweet orchestral strings in the surrounds. The final track “Sailing” is no doubt the heart of Atlantic Crossing — hits weren’t necessarily stacked at the start of the album back then like they typically are today — and the mix here builds nicely in the four channel format.
I actually think Atlantic Crossing sounds better in quadraphonic than in stereo. Since the format was already failing when the album first came out, it’s no surprise this mix never saw the light of day back then—a fate shared by many artists. But now, fans finally get to experience the album as it was meant to be heard: in immersive quadraphonic sound.
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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